Official Correspondence
by TheSlashBunny
Summary: Formal Gaara equals Frustrated Naruto. Teasing Gaara equals Entertained Naruto. Sexy Gaara equals ...? Naruto's half of the story can be found on the-yaoi-squirrel's profile.
1. Impending Escape

Author's Note: These aren't my characters, nor is the world they are in mine. However, I'd like to take some credit for this story. Beta'd and coauthored by my best friend and co-conspirator, the-yaoi-squirrel. Look to her profile for Naruto's point of view. In fact, you should go read her side first, as the story alternates between our two favorite boys.

* * *

It was very rare for Gaara to hate his duties as Kazekage. Occasionally dislike them, yes. Find them tedious, more often than not. Yet, for his village, it was well worth the monotony and difficult decisions. There were only very few moments when he actually wanted to just stand up and walk out. Or maybe just kill whoever was causing him trouble.

This was one of those moments.

Two days worth of meetings with his fellow Kages and this day's meeting had started at 8:30 in the morning. It was now 2:30 in the afternoon and the Raikage, Mizukage, and Tsuchikage were currently at each others' throats. Gaara wasn't even sure what they were arguing about at this point. He'd stopped paying attention to the argument when it had digressed into personal attacks rather than political negotiations.

Thankfully he'd already agreed with Kankuro that if the meeting didn't break for lunch by 3 o'clock, Kankuro was to rush into the room and rescue Gaara from this fiasco masquerading as a political summit, claiming village business or some other emergency. It was good to have your siblings as your closest advisors.

After deciding that pinning them to their chairs with sand and attempting to force cooperation would be counter-productive and would use far more energy than Gaara thought worthwhile, he'd slipped into his familiar state of conscious meditation in order to appear slightly less bored. He was still aware enough to step in if the Mizukage decided to act on her obvious inclination towards injuring the Tsuchikage and if Naruto went through with the prank that he seemed to be planning in his apparent boredom.

He was also aware enough to recognize the disappointed look on Naruto's face when his sand snatched a projectile from the air, flying directly at his face, at 1:40 pm. Sending a glare in the direction of a now guilty looking Naruto, he unfolded a piece of paper and began to scan the words that were nestled amidst doodles of – was that Gamabunta in a tutu?! And mutant ANBU eating the Mizukage and Raikage?! Taking care to not allow his facial expression to change, he moved his focus to the messy scrawl.

_Hey Gaara! Where're you at? _

_Well, mentally that is. I can see you sitting over there. I'm STILL stuck in the final meeting. You know, the one that was supposed to be over with THREE hours ago? I'm bored and starving. I would be soooo embarrassed by my stomach right now if the Cloud-nin and Lightning-nin weren't too busy arguing. Want to meet at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop in a coupla hours? You haven't really experienced Konoha 'til you've had Ichiraku ramen. Come on, it'll be my treat! You don't get out nearly enough. If this isn't out by the end of the hour, promise me you'll feign some diplomatic emergency that needs my urgent attention to bust me out of this, k? I'm out of paper to doodle on, and they're yelling too loudly to escape into some mental fantasy as you seem to have done, you lucky bastard. I don't think I can take much more._

_Naruto_

Damn. Naruto obviously knew him too well if he could tell that Gaara hadn't actually been paying attention. He knew him _far_ too well if he'd guessed that Gaara would already have an escape plan. Perhaps Gaara could include his unfortunate friend in his departure… Or not. It was Naruto's fault for seating the Mizukage, Tsuchikage, and Raikage so closely together. That would never end well. In any universe.

Glancing at the clock and seeing that he had 20 minutes to formulate a response and decide on the besieged Hokage's fate, he pulled his Konoha-provided paper towards himself and put pen to paper.

After signing his name, and adding a post script merely for the sake of disturbing his friend's calm, he used his sand to pass the notes back to Naruto underneath the long table.

_Hokage-sama,_

_I cannot express how comforting it is to know that the man who invited us all here for these informative and productive meetings is paying so close attention to the proceedings. You are truly an inspiration to us all. Idiot._

_If you're not going to pay attention to the argument, you could spend the time deciding how to convince the council that this room requires new chairs. Perhaps comfort could prevent some of the unfortunate outbursts that have occurred yesterday and today._

_As entertaining as it is to see your demeaning drawings of your summons and subordinates, I do not appreciate your attempt at publicly humiliating me by throwing a wad of paper at my face. I'm also offended that you seemed to think that I wouldn't catch it. You, of all people, should be aware of the speed of my sand. Also, if you know me well enough to notice my lack of attention, you should also be aware that payback is a bitch. I'm looking forward to it._

_As for my impending escape, I've yet to decide between including you in my plan or allowing you to sit here and suffer in your boredom. Regardless of the outcome, I will take you up on your invitation to Ichiraku Ramen. It sounds like quite the experience._

_Sabaku no Gaara_

_Fifth Kazekage of Suna_

_P.S. I hope Ichiraku serves salted tongue and gizzard. Yum._


	2. Massive Sandstorm

Author's Note: These aren't my characters, nor is the world they are in mine. However, I'd like to take some credit for this story. Beta'd and coauthored by my best friend and co-conspirator, the-yaoi-squirrel. Look to her profile for Naruto's point of view. In fact, you should go read her side first, as the story alternates between our two favorite boys.

* * *

It amused Gaara immensely, though he'd never show it, to see Naruto warily removing his response from the sand. Instead of retaliating immediately as he usually did, Gaara had decided that forming an obscene gesture with his sand – under the table, of course – and refraining from further retaliation – until later, anyway – would go much further in teaching Naruto a lesson in proper behavior towards an equal than any immediate response. The paranoia Naruto would surely be feeling was also much more satisfying than merely causing Naruto momentary discomfort.

As Gaara enjoyed the look of disgust that was currently passing over Naruto's face – he must have reached the post script – he heard the door open and looked to see his brother rushing into the meeting room, face red and looking distraught. All thoughts of commending his brother on his convincing acting skills flew out of his head as Gaara realized two things: Kankuro was early by fifteen minutes, and, contrary to popular belief, Kankuro couldn't act. Gaara's hand was already grabbing his gourd from next to his seat as Kankuro whispered into his ear the words that Gaara always feared he would hear during an absence from the village:

_Massive sandstorm. Suna's been hit._

Gaara absently wondered if anyone other than Naruto noticed as he raced out of the room, brother and gourd in tow. He surely drew shocked looks as he sprinted down the corridor, down the stairs, out of the building and to his assigned quarters, the tails of his coat trailing behind him. He was pleased to note that his entourage had already packed everything they'd brought with them and he quickly gave them orders for returning to Suna. As he dashed out of Konoha and into the forest, the thought that he should leave a note for Naruto crossed his mind, but was quickly abandoned. He didn't have time. His people needed him.

* * *

Even at top speed, it normally takes three days to reach Suna from Konoha. It only took Gaara two. Running faster than he'd even thought his legs were capable of carrying him, he only paused to rest for a few hours each night. He knew that if he wore himself out completely he wouldn't be of any use to his village once he arrived. He had quickly outstripped his escort, leaving even his brother behind. Normally he would be hearing protests fading into the background, but everyone present knew that Suna's safety was far more important than his own and that their protests would thankfully fall on deaf ears.

While running, his mind sorted through all of the possible scenarios that he might face when he reached home. Amidst the plans already forming in his head, he briefly considered using his sand to move him more quickly once he reached the desert, but this was discarded immediately. Not knowing what he would face when he arrived, not knowing how big the storm actually was, if the storm was already over or if he would need to quell it before digging out his village, he would need as much chakra as he could conserve.

He could see that the storm had run its course before he even reached his destination. When he reached the high walls of Suna that were meant to protect the villagers not only from enemies, but from the desert itself, he realized the true extent of the storm. Even the entry was filled with sand. Tired though he was, he forced his sand to lift him into the air, surveying what little could still be seen of his home. He'd never even heard of a storm causing this much damage before. Horrified green eyes gazed out over the few rooftops that he could still see from the air as surprisingly steady arms raised over his head, calling upon the sand of the desert to obey.

From the distance, racing as fast as they could, Kankuro and the most elite jounin who had accompanied himself and his brother to Konoha watched in awe as a truly massive amount of sand – more than Gaara had used in his Sky Sand Protective Wall to protect them all so many years ago – was lifted above their city. As they neared, they could hear the rumbling of what sounded like thunder and could see the small speck that was Gaara floating over the buried city he was sworn to protect. Kankuro knew that Gaara must be tired and straining as he lifted the sand slowly into the sky and began to move it from the city perimeter. He could almost picture the sweat that would be beading on his brother's forehead, the desperate yet determined look that would surely be in his brother's eyes.

As he and his companions raced into the shadowed city, he shouted orders to check the shelters first and then spread out to search for other survivors. Hopefully the watch guards had been able to give enough warning and the number of casualties would be minimal. Looking around the city, the damage was devastating. He was already calculating in his head the numbers that he would need to inform Gaara – there would be far too many homeless.

Only half of the city was still in eclipse when Kankuro reached the mostly intact tower at the center of Suna. From its top he could see Gaara still floating above the city, his attention fixed on the floating field of sand before him. Kankuro could also see civilians and shinobi streaming out of the shelters. He watched as chuunin and genin stayed with the civilians, keeping order as the citizens gazed in awe at their leader's display of power. He looked on as the jounin fanned out to assist the newly arrived in their search for those who had unfortunately been missing from the shelter rosters. He saw his sister speeding toward the center tower, eyes on her baby brother and the sand he was transporting.

By the time that Temari was standing next to Kankuro, the sand had been allowed to fall, forming a new dune just outside the city walls. The speed at which Gaara was descending and the lack of control that had been demonstrated as the sand had collapsed into the desert worried both siblings.

Gaara had managed to remove all but a small amount of the sand that had covered his city. He knew his village – his home, his sand – so well, that he hadn't had any trouble distinguishing between what belonged and what did not. His floating sand gave out just before he managed to land on the roof of the Kage tower and he fell the final three feet, collapsing to his hands and knees. When Kankuro and Temari reached his side, the latter's voice carrying across the city as she screamed for a medic, they weren't surprised to hear him begin weakly issuing orders for provisions, safe lodging, and search and rescue teams.

* * *

Sitting in the makeshift hospital now located within the Kage Tower the next day, Gaara's mind was tormenting him. Since he'd taken the office of Kazekage, he'd been using his abilities to keep any sandstorms at bay. He'd been proud to say that his people no longer had to fear the desert taking over their homes. With him as their leader, the sand was no longer a foe, but a protector. But where had he been when they needed him most? What had he been doing? Passing notes and joking with his best friend. What must his people be thinking of him now?

He tried to focus on the reports in front of him. He'd informed Temari that if she expected him to stay in the hospital to recuperate from his chakra depletion, then she'd need to accept that he'd still be working. So he was keeping updated and issuing orders from a bed that he was sure should be occupied by someone who was injured and really needed it. Again, he was sitting still when he should be out helping.

He cleared his mind of those thoughts, knowing that he needed to focus on the matter at hand instead of allowing his insecurities to rule him. Some of the buildings had withstood the weight of the sand far better than anyone could have hoped, but over half of his population was without a home. The shelters were still packed and some of the more fortunate citizens had opened their damaged but stable houses to their less fortunate neighbors. He was quite impressed with his people's reactions so far, but rebuilding would take a long time. They needed building supplies and food – one of their storehouses had been completely destroyed and the provisions inside were inedible. This was one of many times that Gaara hated his city's dependence on imports. Suna's economy had greatly improved under his watchful eye and they'd be able to afford much of what they'd need to rebuild, but in order to maintain an income his shinobi would need to be able to continue taking missions and therefore would require supplies to do so and would be unable to directly help with the rebuilding process.

Needless to say, Gaara was not in a very tolerant mood when a small, wrinkly, extremely dirty dog with a leaf headband padded into his room and glared up at him from the floor. He raised a nonexistent eyebrow and the pug – _Pakkun_, his mind supplied – took that as his cue to speak.

"Kazekage-sama, as a friend of the kid, I had an entire lecture prepared for you about the proper use of ninken. However, lookin' around, I can see you don't have the time, so I'll save that for the brat when I get home. Here's a message from the ki- from the Hokage." Still looking disgruntled, Pakkun jumped up onto the bed and allowed Gaara to retrieve the scroll attached to his collar. Unrolling the scroll and beginning to read, Gaara was simultaneously grateful for the break and hoping the letter's contents would not add to his headache.

_Hey Gaara  
Where'd you go? I thought we were gonna meet up to go to the ramen bar, my treat.  
Anyway, I've looked all over for you and can't find you anywhere. I'm really worried.  
Did something really come up in Suna, or did you just change your mind?  
If so, I wish you had told me sooner, I was waiting at  
the bar for hours waiting for you to show up.  
I hope this message finds you well, and finds you soon.  
All the best,  
Naruto  
PS: Tongue and gizzard are the single worst thing to combine with ramen.  
I'm insulted that you would even think about corrupting ramen in such a way.  
What the hell is wrong with you? What the hell is wrong with your tastebuds?!  
Please, PLEASE, tell me that you were only kidding.  
PPS: How many times have I told you to stop calling me Hokage-sama?  
It makes me feel like an old fart, and I'm not ready to join those  
august and argumentative ranks just yet. Repeat after me Na-ru-to. Naruto. Got it? Good._

Hours? Naruto had waited for him for hours? Gaara felt an unfamiliar, comforting warmth develop inside him as he read the letter from Naruto. He thought Gaara might have stood him up? Why on earth would he think that? Gaara now felt mildly guilty as he thought back to that evening, but that feeling was quickly replaced as he remembered why he'd been in such a hurry. As the pug sat on the end of his bed, looking uncomfortable, Gaara's gaze once again drifted out the window of his makeshift hospital room, down to the workers attempting to navigate the rubble-strewn streets below. More of the structurally-unsound buildings were collapsing and depositing pieces of themselves into the roadways, just as already collapsed buildings were settling, pushing out into the streets. Gaara knew what needed to be done.

Fixing his gaze on the unflinching dog before him, he asked, "How quickly can you return to Konoha?" The dog seemed to realize Gaara's thoughts as he too returned his gaze from the window.

"If I break the summons, Kakashi, being the nosy little brat he is, will summon me again to see what happened. I can then gladly ignore him and deliver your message directly to Naruto." Gaara nodded, dug out a blank scroll and started to write. After he'd responded to the letter, along with the somewhat silly post scripts, he rolled it up, sealed it and attached it to the pug's collar. Almost as an afterthought as the pug jumped down to the floor, he remembered his manners and called out, "See my sister before you leave and she will provide you with a meal. You must be exhausted."

As Gaara looked again towards the work spread over his lap, he could only hope that Naruto would be able to respond favorably to his request.

_Hokage-sama,_  
_  
I was glad to receive your letter. I apologize for failing to meet you at the ramen bar. I hope that you were exaggerating in your message and did not wait overly long for my appearance. Know that I did not change my mind. In fact, you will never know how much I wish my day had ended in such an enjoyable and entertaining manner as dinner always is with you. I would have left a note for you if time had allowed. Unfortunately, your concern is as accurately placed as it is appreciated._

_I write to you now not only in response, but as the Kazekage of Suna. My village has been hit by a sandstorm the likes of which have not been seen since the time of the Nidaime Kazekage. My home is in ruins. I returned shortly after the winds had settled, two and one-half days after the storm hit. It came in the night, giving my people only minutes to get to the shelters. Over one-quarter of the population is unaccounted and I fear that our efforts to find survivors among the rubble may be fruitless. My shinobi are trained for search and rescue in the desert, not in destroyed buildings. The number of collapsed buildings to search requires more time than we have to find those still alive. A storehouse has collapsed and our hospital has been damaged beyond use. Our food stores are already running low._

_I, Sabaku no Gaara, in my capacity as the Fifth Kazekage of Suna, am formally requesting assistance from the Hidden Village of Konoha. While aware of the security risks relevant to rebuilding, the welfare of my people concerns me more. Any aid that could be given will be greatly appreciated and repaid in time. Though we are ultimately rivals, we are also allies, and so, if assistance is rendered, I will personally resolve any fears the council may have in allowing foreign shinobi to assist in rebuilding._

_Please inform me of your decision as soon as possible. I cannot express the urgency of this matter. Thank you for your time taken in reading my request. _  
_  
Sabaku no Gaara  
Fifth Kazekage of Suna_

_P.S. There is nothing wrong with my tastebuds. You merely lack a sense of culinary adventure. Next you visit, you'll have to step out of that shell and try something that doesn't taste like ramen._

_P.P.S. One would think that you would want to be called by the title that you worked so hard to gain, but you will never cease to surprise us all. I will do as you wish and from here call you 'Naruto' in my letters as surely and as easily as I call you 'friend.'_

_P.P.P.S. Do not expect me to call you by your first name in public._


End file.
